Customer Reviews

Cattle Queen of Montana

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This great flick is also available as part of a double feature (Cattle Queen of Montana/Tennessee's Partner) which sells for less money than EITHER of the films sell for separately! It is on Amazon.

Both films have great transfers and it seems to be released by the same company!

Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan give fine performances in this colorful little western. Directed by Allan Dwan and produced by Benedict Bogeaus, Cattle Queen of Montana, is well produced, colorful, and entertaining throughout. Lots of action, great photographer, and a great story make for the kind of thrills that Western fans appreciate. Louis Forbes, who also did the musical score for the Dwan/Borgeaus collaboration Silver Lode, also composed the fine score for this one.
The VCI DVD issue is clean and sharp, colorful, and well-done, with extras that add to our enjoyment. We owe VCI a debt of thanks for rescuing this film, and others suchs as TENNESSEE'S PARTNER, SILVER LODE, THE YOUNG LAND, and PASSION (all from the 1950s), which they have made available [see listing for them].
Highly recommended to fans of Westerns and those who enjoy 1950s cinema.

Typical 1950's western yarn. The plot is very simple, the acting is actually very good.. What saves this movie is the great scenery of montana. All and all it is a good movie to have in your collection.

Cattle Queen of Montana is a decent Western, but not as good as I hoped. On the positive side - the scenery is great, the action is good, and the cast is solid. Ronald Reagan is actually pretty good as a cowboy, and Barbara Stanwyck does a nice job portraying a strong Western woman. On the negative side - the plot is predictable, the bad guy is kind of lame, and the actors portraying the native Americans are not very believable. The special effects are not too good either. Overall, I enjoyed the film, but as a fan of Westerns it is only decent.

Hey, any movie featured in Back To The Future
is worth a top review.

Even if I had never seen this movie I would give it a great review.

It taught me the importance of peaceful bovine coexistance, and the nutritional value of plains grasses.

Some people think nobody lives in Montana just because the highways have no speed limits, but this movie shows that there are at least 2.

Look for a cameo by a very yound Elvis Presley.

Film producer Benedict Bogeaus and veteran director Allan Dwan (Robin Hood 1922) teamed up in the 1950's to give us several films mostly westerns. Among those was the excellent SILVER LODE (1954) and TENNESSEE'S PARTNER (1955) John Payne was the hero of these two, with Ronald Reagan as Tennessee's partner in the second. Both of these are also available through Amazon on VCI Entertainments DVD.

Unlike the above-mentioned movies, CATTLE QUEEN OF MONTANA (1953) seems to have come in for a bit of "stick". Starring Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, no doubt it she cuts a fine figure in western garb and she is the best thing in it, although it has been said elsewhere that she hated it. That maybe true but she is still very watchable against the backdrop of Montana's Glacier National Park. The acclaimed-cinematographer on this film was John Alton who was also responsible for the cinematography in the aforementioned SILVER LODE and TENNNESSEE'S PARTNER.

Miss Stanwyck gives an energetic performance as the woman whose cattle and land are at risk from rustlers and claim jumpers, she is helped by college educated good Indian Colorados (Lance Fuller) and hindered by bad Indian Natchakoa we also have the white-heavy Tom McCord (Gene Evans) and his sidekick Yost (Jack Elam). Thrown in for good measure is a mysterious gunman called Farrell (Ronald Reagan). The Blackfeet Indians hired as extras, were so impressed with Stanwyck (who done her own stunts) they gave her the Indian name of Princess Many Victories and made her a blood sister.

Any film now that starred pre-1981 Ronald Reagan has or should have additional interest because at that time he became the 40th President of the USA. In the film BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) the hero Marty is transported back in time to 1953. On an advertising hoarding is a poster advertising THE CATTLE QUEEN OF MONTANA starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. When Marty (Michael J Fox) was asked by Dr Brown (Christopher Lloyd) "Tell me young man from the future: "Who is the President of the United States in 1985?" Marty replied "Ronald Reagan" amid hoots of laughter from those present--A classic never-to be-forgotten moment of cinema history!

On some shots in the film the colours seem to be a bit faded, but not so much as to spoil your enjoyment. Also included on this DVD is the original theatre trailer as well as restored-trailers for TENNESSEE'S PARTNER and two LONE RANGER movies. All well worth viewing on a wet afternoon.

I bought this movie because I use to work on a farm and I love the sound that cattle make. However when I watch I was very please to see the way the stars handle them self considering that this movie was made back in 1954. I thought Barbara Stanwyck who a star in The Big Valley was excellent in her role as Sierra Nevada Jones the woman fighting for her right to the property that her and her husband had. This was also the first movie that I saw that former President Ron Reagan was in before he went into politics. Regan who played the role of gunfighter Farrell was excellent. While Farrell is working for the government is trying to find out whose selling guns to the Indians. Tom McCord who does his usually good job as the bad guy is trying to run Jones out of town so he can control the whole valley

VCI Entertainment presents "Cattle Queen of Montana" (1954) (Dolby digitally remastered)...an RKO Pictures production featuring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan...story line has Sierra Nevada Jones (Stanwyck) and her father (Ankrum) arriving in Montana to file their claim for some prime ranch land...while camping and bedding down the cattle Natchakoa (Caruso) with his band of renegade tribesmen raid the camp and steal the cattle...land owner and neighbor McCord (Evans) is behind all of the bad events that happen to Sierra...with the help of Colorados (Fuller) son of the chief who has attended the whitemans college is trying to bring peace between the Indian and townspeople...is Farrell (Reagan) who is working for McCord and his henchman Yost (Jack Elam) help Sierra Jones...can Farrell who is a hired gun be working for the army undercover...will his fast gun help turn the tide for the Cattle Queen of Montana...this above average B-Western will keep you guessing to the very last scene... no one will ever forget this woman...as she strips off all restraint, in a role as fiery as the guns of greed around her...relive those thrilling days from the '50s when romance and drama took us down the dusty trails and the plains to exciting adventures.

Under director Allan Dwan, producer Benedict Bogeaus with original story by Thomas W. Blackburn, screenplay by Robert Blees and Howard Estabrook, music composed by Louis Forbes...the cast include Barbara Stanwyck (Sierra Nevada Jones), Ronald Reagan (Farrell), Gene Evans (Tom Mccord), Lance Fuller (Colorados), Anthony Caruso (Natchakoa), Jack Elam (Yost), Yvette Duguay (Starfire), Morris Ankrum (J.I. 'Pop' Jones), Chubby Johnson (Nat Collins), Myron Healey (Hank), Rod Redwing (Powhani), Paul Birch (Col. Carrington), Bryon Flouger (Land Office Employee), Burt Mustin (Dan)....nothere is a great deal of entertainment here for "B-Western" fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features like this one.

SCENE SELECT:
1. Sierra Nevada
2. Stampede!
3. White Ways
4. Without You
5. To Town
6. Getting Too Big
7. Courtesy
8. Brand Consicious
9. 200 Rifles
10.No Blackfoot
11.Can He talok?
12.Showdown

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. "Cattle Queen of Montana (original theatrical trailer)
2. "Tennessee Partner" (John Payne & Ronald Reagan)
3. "The Lone Ranger" (thunders to the motion picture screen) (restored trailer)
4. "The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold" (restored trailer) (Golden Book Entertaiment)

Own them now on DVD....if you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...if you enjoyed this feature check out another as VCI Entertainment presents "Tennessee Partner" (1955) (Dolby digitally remastered), featuring John Payne, Ronald Reagan and Rhonda Fleming is based on a Bret Harte writings as our story takes place in a gold mining town in California where gambler John Payne finds it easier to take money at the poker table than digging for gold...a stranger riding into town played by Ronald Reagan saves Payne...Reagan known as Cowpoke becomes Tennessee's partner....but the place is full of rough characters....the story lines are excellent with outstanding action scenes and production with over an hours worth of entertainment

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the "Cattle Queen of Montana" (1954), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch Westerns from VCI...so saddle up and get ready for some hard riding and adventure that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 88 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8287 ~ (2/12/2002)